Generation "RX"

Drug enforcement and prevention officials say today's teens have problems their parents may not have faced. A recent study shows that the number of adolescents hooked on prescription drugs is growing.

Some are calling today's teens "Generation RX."

Some of the most dangerous drugs aren't necessarily the ones parents warn their children about. They are the ones that might be easily accessible in the family medicine cabinet.

A recent study by the Partnership for a Drug Free America found that more teens are abusing prescription drugs. Popular pain killers like vicodin and oxycontin are being used to get high.

Jack Sims, a counselor with BVCASA, says there has been an increase in the number of patients needing help for an addiction to prescription medications. He says parents should get out of the habit of leaving prescription medications where their kids can get it.

"We should be keeping these medications on ourselves. We should be keeping them in places where the kids and teenagers can't get to them or other people that abuse drugs," said Sims.

Most residents agree and also say it's an adults responsibility to talk to teens about abusing prescription drugs.

"They don't want their kids to get it intentionally, but sometimes they're not paying attention and leave the drugs laying around and kids are curious and they want to see what this is," said Danny Ephriam, a College Station resident.

Some Bryan High parents got a scare when a 15 year old female student brought anti-anxiety and antipsychotic meds to school and passed them out to others. Several students ended up in the hospital. The teen who distributed the drugs will face criminal charges. Recent high school graduates say incidents like this one aren't uncommon.

"There's been a lot of things that I've heard about that. When I was in high school kids were starting to get into that kind of thing. It's just so easy for them to get these days. It's kind of disturbing," said Brent Ivy, a Bryan resident.

The study also found that teens are more likely to abuse prescription pain killers to get high than experiment with illegal drugs. All the more reason experts say it's important kids know, just because it's a prescription drug, doesn't mean it's safe.

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